Helping to remember the past

Published: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 2:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 2:51 p.m.

Coastal Louisiana has lost land, homes and businesses to the encroaching water of the Gulf of Mexico.

Communities, too, are struggling to hold their ground in the face of the oncoming tides.

The water is rising, and the land is sinking.

Farther inland, we are still hoping that a vigorous program of coastal restoration and flood protection will help us hang on for generations to come.

But closer to the coast, the time has come to move to higher ground.

Left behind after the flight takes place are pilings, fences and other signs of civilization. Perhaps the most striking remnants, though, are the cemeteries that are being swallowed into the Gulf.

One place you can see this sad phenomenon is in Leeville, which still has some people but stands with no levee protection. There, cemeteries such as the Crosby Cemetery will eventually be gone.

These historically significant sites are part of the vibrant culture that created and maintained our communities. They are reminders of the hearty men and women who settled here and made their livings on the land and water.

They are ties to the past, but they will one day be part of that past.

Fortunately, though, there is an effort under way to document these cemeteries. Jessica Schexnayder, the administrative coordinator at Louisiana Sea Grant, is leading the effort. She has already mapped 43 cemeteries along Louisiana’s coast.

“I’m trying to collect them for historical documentation,” Schexnayder said. “When the Gulf takes them, they are gone. There is no real way to save these sites. It’s my wholehearted mission to collect the information for historical documentation.”

In a perfect world, Louisiana would be willing and able to step in and save the coastal communities where these cemeteries and their valuable cultural and historical value are.

Through so many generations of neglect, though, the problems now are so dire that even saving the inland communities will be a herculean task whose outcome remains to be seen.

Anyone who appreciates the significance of these burial sites should be thankful that their existence is being documented for future generations that will be unable to visit them in person.

Schexnayder’s mission is an arduous and thankless task, but it is nonetheless valuable. It will be a tremendous asset when she is finished, something that will have to provide a substitute for these links to our collective past.

<p>Coastal Louisiana has lost land, homes and businesses to the encroaching water of the Gulf of Mexico.</p><p>Communities, too, are struggling to hold their ground in the face of the oncoming tides.</p><p>The water is rising, and the land is sinking.</p><p>Farther inland, we are still hoping that a vigorous program of coastal restoration and flood protection will help us hang on for generations to come.</p><p>But closer to the coast, the time has come to move to higher ground.</p><p>Left behind after the flight takes place are pilings, fences and other signs of civilization. Perhaps the most striking remnants, though, are the cemeteries that are being swallowed into the Gulf.</p><p>One place you can see this sad phenomenon is in Leeville, which still has some people but stands with no levee protection. There, cemeteries such as the Crosby Cemetery will eventually be gone.</p><p>These historically significant sites are part of the vibrant culture that created and maintained our communities. They are reminders of the hearty men and women who settled here and made their livings on the land and water.</p><p>They are ties to the past, but they will one day be part of that past.</p><p>Fortunately, though, there is an effort under way to document these cemeteries. Jessica Schexnayder, the administrative coordinator at Louisiana Sea Grant, is leading the effort. She has already mapped 43 cemeteries along Louisiana's coast.</p><p>“I'm trying to collect them for historical documentation,” Schexnayder said. “When the Gulf takes them, they are gone. There is no real way to save these sites. It's my wholehearted mission to collect the information for historical documentation.”</p><p>In a perfect world, Louisiana would be willing and able to step in and save the coastal communities where these cemeteries and their valuable cultural and historical value are.</p><p>Through so many generations of neglect, though, the problems now are so dire that even saving the inland communities will be a herculean task whose outcome remains to be seen.</p><p>Anyone who appreciates the significance of these burial sites should be thankful that their existence is being documented for future generations that will be unable to visit them in person.</p><p>Schexnayder's mission is an arduous and thankless task, but it is nonetheless valuable. It will be a tremendous asset when she is finished, something that will have to provide a substitute for these links to our collective past.</p><p>Editorials represent the opinions of</p><p>the newspaper, not of any individual.</p>